


Oh, Elusive Freedom

by Written_prose_things



Category: The Witcher (TV)
Genre: Discussion of Death, Dramatic Jaskier | Dandelion, Emotionally Constipated Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Hurt Jaskier | Dandelion, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:54:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27227683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Written_prose_things/pseuds/Written_prose_things
Summary: Jaskier has a new mission. He's only just found some grey hairs on his head. And it terrifies him and Geralt for entirely different reasons.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Comments: 2
Kudos: 70





	Oh, Elusive Freedom

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this a little while back. Disclaimer, I've only seen the show. And I know that the ageing process is a little wonky in the show, but humans still have a shorter life span than witchers right?  
> Well if they don't, then this is a headcanon.   
> Idk what I'm doing. This idea caught onto my brain and has been rolling around in there for a week now.

Jaskier is obsessed. It’s isn’t something new, the bard regularly goes through phases of fancying new things he’s seen on the path.    
But it’s never been so closely associated with Geralt before. 

The witcher shouldn't be surprised by this really. He’s experienced this with a few people before as well. So he decides right then, that he isn’t going to spend the rest of Jaskier’s life ignoring the fact that they’re losing time. 

They’ve been camped out on the slopes of the eastern mountains for three days and Geralt 

is so done with it.    
They’re looking for solutions to a problem that shouldn’t even be thought of as a problem. 

So, Geralt gets out of their bed and starts packing up the campsite. 

Geralt senses Jaskier returning from his morning session of writing when he’s only halfway through rolling up the canvas of their tent. 

“Hey, Woah! What’s going on? I thought we were waiting for the blue elf?”

Geralt turns back to look at the bard, squinting his eyes against the early morning sunlight. Jaskier’s carrying a pheasant. He’s become a good hunter in the past decade. But that’s expected, he’s a fast learner.   
Geralt thinks smugly to himself after all the bard did complete studies worth four years in two. 

Geralt shakes his head, “I already told to Jas, it isn’t the blue elf. It’s the blue _elk_. And it died a long time ago.”

Jaskier crosses his arms over his chest and squints his eyes at Geralt, He has so many more crow’s feet around his eyes and mouth now. 

“What is your problem? Do you not want me to figure this out?”

Geralt gets up from his crouched position on the ground, “No, of course not.”

Jaskier scoffs, but Geralt can sense the betrayal that Jaskier is beginning to feel, “Of course I believe that. You’ve been dragging your feet since we began looking for a solution since the last winter. Do you want me to die? Are you bored with me? Your little human toy?!”

Jaskier is hysterical now and it hurts Geralt's ears just a little.    
  
He sighs. They’re already approaching the next spring. A full year. That’s how long Jaskier has spent obsessing over the fact that he’s going to die.    
Not as the time, he has left with Geralt, but as the time he has left to figure out how to beat this. 

How to beat life itself. 

And Geralt is tired. He’s been through this before, so maybe he should try a different technique with Jas. Maybe, just maybe, the bard might see sense. 

Geralt sighs and speaks up, “I’ve had lovers before, you know? And I-”

Jaskier’s upon him, a little quicker and a lot more violently than usual. 

“What the fuck is wrong with you?!” he yells, “I’m asking you if you want me to die and you’re telling me about your previous conquests! I’m doing this for you Geralt! I’m doing this for us! And if you’re not interested, then there’s no point to it.”

Geralt takes the punches that Jaskier’ throws at his chest and only when the bard is heaving with exhaustion does Geralt take both his hands into his own. 

“But you’re not really doing this for us, Jaskier. You’re doing this for a future us.”

Jaskier lets out a long-suffering sigh, “What the fuck does that mean?”

Geralt tries to gather his thoughts before speaking again, “In the past year, you’ve barely stopped to look at me. Spending our nights together is a chore for you-”

Jaskier tries to interrupt and Geralt holds up his hand, “It doesn’t feel like there’s anything left of us. You’re wasting these years, which mind you, are not the last ones of your life. Two grey hairs don’t mean you need to look for a life elixir. But even then, suppose you spend the next years of your life looking for a cure, some fucking blue elf you hear of in the forests, a tribe of fae near some pond, the selkies at the shore, or whatever else...” 

He sighs before continuing, “ and you don’t find it. So, you won’t just be missing from my life since the day you died, instead, I wouldn’t have you in my real memories from the day you decided to leave everything else to look for this cure.”

Jaskier looks away, “I didn’t know that.”

Geralt clenches his jaw, “It’s happened before.”

Jaskier looks back at him, “Oh, that’s why you were talking about your...”

Geralt, “Yeah.”

Jaskier nods, “So what do you think we should do now?”

Geralt grimaces and shrugs his shoulders, “We’ll continue on the path. If we hear about something relevant to your cause, we’ll look into it.”

Jaskier nods, “Have you heard of anything that we might find on the path?”

Geralt nods, “I heard of a striga that’s been attacking a village on the way down this mountain.”

Jaskier laughs, “Ah! So it  _ is _ a Striga that’s caught your attention. I knew it wouldn’t be some useless beast that would have stolen my husband’s attention away from me.”

Geralt laughs and hopes to the Gods that Jaskier doesn’t notice his blush. They’ve been together for decades now, but words of endearment never ail to catch him off-guard.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are always welcome!


End file.
